Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and make you like a warrior’s sword. New Living Translation Judah is my bow, and Israel is my arrow. Jerusalem is my sword, and like a warrior, I will brandish it against the Greeks. English Standard Version For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword. Berean Standard Bible For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man. King James Bible When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. New King James Version For I have bent Judah, My bow, Fitted the bow with Ephraim, And raised up your sons, O Zion, Against your sons, O Greece, And made you like the sword of a mighty man.” New American Standard Bible For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will fill the bow with Ephraim. And I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece; And I will make you like a warrior’s sword. NASB 1995 For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will fill the bow with Ephraim. And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece; And I will make you like a warrior’s sword. NASB 1977 For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will fill the bow with Ephraim. And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece; And I will make you like a warrior’s sword. Legacy Standard Bible For I will bend Judah as My bow; I will fill the bow with Ephraim. And I will rouse up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece; And I will make you like a mighty man’s sword. Amplified Bible For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will fit the bow with Ephraim [as My arrow]. And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, And will make you [Israel] like the sword of a warrior. Christian Standard Bible For I will bend Judah as my bow; I will fill that bow with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece. I will make you like a warrior’s sword. Holman Christian Standard Bible For I will bend Judah as My bow; I will fill that bow with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece. I will make you like a warrior’s sword. American Standard Version For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man. Contemporary English Version I will use Judah as my bow and Israel as my arrow. I will take the people of Zion as my sword and attack the Greeks. English Revised Version For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man. GOD'S WORD® Translation I will bend Judah as my bow and draw my bow with Ephraim [as its arrow]. I will stir up your people, Zion, against your people, Greece, and I will use you like a warrior's sword. Good News Translation I will use Judah like a soldier's bow and Israel like the arrows. I will use the men of Zion like a sword, to fight the men of Greece." International Standard Version For I have bent Judah as if it were my bow, loading it with Ephraim. I raised up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, wielding you like a mighty warrior's sword." Majority Standard Bible For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man. NET Bible I will bend Judah as my bow; I will load the bow with Ephraim, my arrow! I will stir up your sons, Zion, against yours, Greece, and I will make you, Zion, like a warrior's sword. New Heart English Bible For indeed I bend Judah as a bow for me. I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and will make you like the sword of a mighty man. Webster's Bible Translation When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. World English Bible For indeed I bend Judah as a bow for me. I have loaded the bow with Ephraim. I will stir up your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and will make you like the sword of a mighty man. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionFor I have trodden for Myself with Judah, "" I have filled a bow [with] Ephraim, "" And I have stirred up your sons, O Zion, "" Against your sons, O Javan, "" And I have set you as the sword of a hero.” Young's Literal Translation For I have trodden for Me Judah, A bow I have filled with Ephraim, And I have stirred up thy sons, O Zion, Against thy sons, O Javan, And I have set thee as the sword of a hero. Smith's Literal Translation For I tread out Judah to me, I filled the bow with Ephraim, and I raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and I set thee as the sword of the strong one. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBecause I have bent Juda for me as a bow, I have filled Ephraim: and I will raise up thy sons, O Sion, above thy sons, O Greece, and I will make thee as the sword of the mighty. Catholic Public Domain Version because I have stretched out Judah for myself, like a bow; I have filled Ephraim. And I will raise up your sons, Zion, above your sons, Greece. And I will set you as the sword of the strength. New American Bible For I have bent Judah as my bow, I have set Ephraim as its arrow; I will arouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Yavan, and I will use you as a warrior’s sword. New Revised Standard Version For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will arouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleFor I have bent my bow over Judah and filled my bow over Ephraim, and I have set your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and made Jerusalem like the sword of a mighty man. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Because I have bent my bow over Yehuda, and I have fitted against Ephraim, and I cast your sons, oh Zion, against your sons, oh Greece, and I have made you like the sword of a giant OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917For I bend Judah for Me, I fill the bow with Ephraim; And I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, Against thy sons, O Javan, And will make thee as the sword of a mighty man. Brenton Septuagint Translation For I have bent thee, O Juda, for myself as a bow, I have filled Ephraim; and I will raise up thy children, O Sion, against the children of the Greeks, and I will handle thee as the sword of a warrior. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Zion's Coming King…12Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; even today I declare that I will restore to you double. 13For I will bend Judah as My bow and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man. Cross References Isaiah 41:15-16 Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. / You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel. Jeremiah 51:20-23 “You are My war club, My weapon for battle. With you I shatter nations; with you I bring kingdoms to ruin. / With you I shatter the horse and rider; with you I shatter the chariot and driver. / With you I shatter man and woman; with you I shatter the old man and the youth; with you I shatter the young man and the maiden. ... Ezekiel 25:14 I will take My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, and they will deal with Edom according to My anger and wrath. Then they will know My vengeance, declares the Lord GOD.’ Psalm 45:5 Your arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s foes; the nations fall beneath your feet. Isaiah 49:2 He made My mouth like a sharp sword; He hid Me in the shadow of His hand. He made Me like a polished arrow; He hid Me in His quiver. Isaiah 66:19 I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who have not heard of My fame or seen My glory. So they will proclaim My glory among the nations. Joel 3:9-10 Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war; rouse the mighty men; let all the men of war advance and attack! / Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, ‘I am strong!’ Amos 9:12 that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear My name,” declares the LORD, who will do this. Isaiah 11:13-14 Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, and the adversaries of Judah will be cut off. Ephraim will no longer envy Judah, nor will Judah harass Ephraim. / They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines to the west; together they will plunder the sons of the east. They will lay their hands on Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them. Isaiah 14:2 The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland. Then the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors. Isaiah 60:12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly destroyed. Isaiah 60:14 The sons of your oppressors will come and bow down to you; all who reviled you will fall facedown at your feet and call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 60:16 You will drink the milk of nations and nurse at the breasts of royalty; you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Isaiah 60:18 No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders. But you will name your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. Isaiah 61:5 Strangers will stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers. Treasury of Scripture When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and made you as the sword of a mighty man. bent. Zechariah 1:21 Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it. Zechariah 10:3-7 Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle… Zechariah 12:2-8 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem… and raised. Psalm 49:2-9 Both low and high, rich and poor, together… Lamentations 4:2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! Amos 2:11 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD. against. Daniel 8:21-25 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king… Daniel 11:32-34 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits… Joel 3:6-8 The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border… made. Zechariah 12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. Psalm 18:32-35 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect… Psalm 45:3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. Jump to Previous Arrow Arrows Bend Bent Bow Brandish Ephraim E'phraim Fill Filled Greece Hero Indeed Javan Judah Mighty Raise Raised Stir Stirred Sword Use Warrior's Wield ZionJump to Next Arrow Arrows Bend Bent Bow Brandish Ephraim E'phraim Fill Filled Greece Hero Indeed Javan Judah Mighty Raise Raised Stir Stirred Sword Use Warrior's Wield ZionZechariah 9 1. God defends his church.9. Zion is exhorted to rejoice for the coming of Christ, and his peaceable kingdom. 12. God's promises of victory and defense. For I will bend Judah as My bow This phrase indicates God's intention to use Judah as a weapon of war, symbolizing strength and readiness for battle. In biblical context, the bow is often a symbol of military power and divine judgment (Psalm 7:12). Judah, representing the southern kingdom, is portrayed as an instrument in God's hands, emphasizing His sovereignty and control over the nations. This imagery connects to the idea of God empowering His people to fulfill His purposes. and fit it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, O Zion, against the sons of Greece. I will make you like the sword of a mighty man. Persons / Places / Events 1. JudahOne of the twelve tribes of Israel, representing the southern kingdom. In this context, it symbolizes strength and leadership. 2. Ephraim Another tribe of Israel, often representing the northern kingdom. Here, it signifies unity with Judah. 3. Zion A term often used to refer to Jerusalem or the people of God. It represents the spiritual center and God's chosen people. 4. Greece Represents the Gentile nations, specifically the Hellenistic powers that opposed Israel. 5. Mighty Man Symbolizes strength and divine empowerment, indicating that God will equip His people for victory. Teaching Points Divine EmpowermentGod equips His people for spiritual battles. Just as He promised to make Judah and Ephraim His instruments, He empowers believers today through the Holy Spirit. Unity Among Believers The unification of Judah and Ephraim signifies the importance of unity within the body of Christ. Believers are called to work together for God's purposes. Spiritual Warfare The conflict between Zion and Greece symbolizes the ongoing spiritual battle between God's kingdom and worldly powers. Christians are called to stand firm in faith. God's Sovereignty This passage highlights God's control over nations and history. Believers can trust in His ultimate plan and purpose. Hope and Victory The promise of making His people like a mighty sword assures believers of victory through Christ. This hope should inspire confidence and perseverance.Verse 13. - The Lord proceeds to explain the promised blessings in detail. First is signified the victorious resistance of the Maccabees against the Seleucidae - a figure of Messiah's victory over all the enemies of God. When (for) I have bent Judah for me. The verbs are in the prophetical perfect, and may be rendered future By a grand figure God is represented as a warrior armed for battle, who uses his people for the weapons of his warfare. The Hebrews speak of "treading" the bow, where we say "bend," because they used the foot in bending it. In the present case Judah is God's bow. Filled the bow with Ephraim. Ephraim is the arrow (comp. Psalm 127:4, 5). Judah and Ephraim, the united people, are God's instruments, and fight against the world power in his strength. And raised up; better, and I will stir up; Septuagint, ἐξεγερῶ: Vulgate, suscitabo. Greece; Javan. Not a vague term for the tar west, whither some prisoners had been carried, but to be taken strictly as the appellation of Greece. Nothing but inspiration could have enabled Zechariah and Daniel to foresee the rise of the Macedonian dynasty, and the struggle between the Jews and the Syro-Grecian power in Maccabean times, which is here plainly announced. The earlier the date assigned to this part of Zechariah's prophecy, the more incredible is it that any mere human sagacity or prescience should have enabled a man to fore. tell these events, or to see in Greece a power arrayed in conflict with the people of God. And made thee; rather, and I will make thee. God will make his people into a hero's sword to execute vengeance on the enemy. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Forכִּֽי־ (kî-) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction I will bend דָרַ֨כְתִּי (ḏā·raḵ·tî) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Strong's 1869: To tread, to walk, to string a, bow Judah יְהוּדָ֗ה (yə·hū·ḏāh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites as My bow קֶ֚שֶׁת (qe·šeṯ) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 7198: A bow, for, shooting, the iris and fit it מִלֵּ֣אתִי (mil·lê·ṯî) Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of with Ephraim. אֶפְרַ֔יִם (’ep̄·ra·yim) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 669: Ephraim -- a son of Joseph, also his descendants and their territory I will rouse וְעוֹרַרְתִּ֤י (wə·‘ō·w·rar·tî) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular Strong's 5782: To rouse oneself, awake your sons, בָנַ֙יִךְ֙ (ḇā·na·yiḵ) Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular Strong's 1121: A son O Zion, צִיּ֔וֹן (ṣî·yō·wn) Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 6726: Zion -- a mountain in Jerusalem, also a name for Jerusalem against עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against the sons בָּנַ֖יִךְ (bā·na·yiḵ) Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular Strong's 1121: A son of Greece. יָוָ֑ן (yā·wān) Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 3120: Javan -- a son of Japheth, also his descendants and their land I will make you וְשַׂמְתִּ֖יךְ (wə·śam·tîḵ) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | second person feminine singular Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set like the sword כְּחֶ֥רֶב (kə·ḥe·reḇ) Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword of a mighty man. גִּבּֽוֹר׃ (gib·bō·wr) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 1368: Powerful, warrior, tyrant Links Zechariah 9:13 NIVZechariah 9:13 NLT Zechariah 9:13 ESV Zechariah 9:13 NASB Zechariah 9:13 KJV Zechariah 9:13 BibleApps.com Zechariah 9:13 Biblia Paralela Zechariah 9:13 Chinese Bible Zechariah 9:13 French Bible Zechariah 9:13 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Zechariah 9:13 For indeed I bend Judah as (Zech. 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